Course Maintenance Week
Welcome to the Behind the Scenes Look at Course Maintenance at Rothley Park !
We aim to provide our members and visitors with the best playing conditions possible. This takes careful planning, hard work, and passion. Walk with us as we give you an inside look at what it takes to maintain our course.
1. Graden scarifying machine
A recent STRI report (download here) highlighted a build up of thatch in the top 20 mm of the greensward. The Graden scarifying process will remove approximately 1 tonne of organic matter per green from this area. Scarifying will remove 3 times more organic matter than hollow coring.
1. Aerial view of scarifying
The recent STRI report (Ben please attach) had highlighted a build up of thatch in the top 20mm of the sward. The scarifying process will remove approximately 1 tonne of organic matter from this area. Scarifying removes three times as much organic matter as hollow coring.
2. Blowing off the thatch
The thatch is blown off the green.
4. Verticutting
The green is then verticut. This process allows thinning of turf grass by blades or wire tines that cut perpendicularly to the soil in a shallow swath or a deep cut. This promotes lateral and vertical grass growth, as well as allowing moisture and oxygen to reach the root zone more easily.
5. Spiking the green
Spiking relieves compaction and allows better penetration of water and air. During the week, this process was also carried out on tees and approaches.
6. Top dressing
The greens are top dressed to improve smoothness and firmness as well as diluting the percentage of thatch in the sward.
The top dressing we use is 80% sand and 20% loam.
7. Brushing in top dressing
The top dressing is brushed into the grooves created by the scarifying process.
8. Granular fertiliser
Greens, approaches and surrounds are fed with a granular fertilizer. During the week we will have put down over £3,000 worth of fertilizer.
It is important to note that for at least a week after the fertilizer has been applied, that the grass is kept at a higher cut than usual. This enables the fertilizer to be absorbed into the sward rather than mown and discarded.
9. Final light top dressing
10. Final brushing in
11. Close up of the green’s surface after scarifying
12. Close up of the green after top dressing and brushing
